How to grow honeysuckle?

Honeysuckle belongs to the genus Lonicera of the family Caprifoliaceae. It is a perennial semi-evergreen vine or creeping shrub . It is also known as honeysuckle, golden and silver vine, silver vine, two-color flower vine, two-treasure vine, right-turn vine, etc. As a traditional Chinese medicine , honeysuckle has important value. In the past, honeysuckle was mainly sourced from the wild. However, with the gradual reduction of wild resources, people now increasingly use artificial cultivation to obtain honeysuckle. Let’s learn together how to grow honeysuckle.

1. Seed propagation

During the Frost Descent season, honeysuckle berries should be harvested in time after they ripen and turn black. Scrub the fruit in clean water to remove the peel and impurities, then dry and store. If you choose to sow in spring, you need to soak the seeds in warm water 40 days in advance, mix them with wet sand or humus, and keep them warm and moist to promote germination. When sowing, sow in rows according to a certain row spacing and furrow depth, cover the soil and keep it moist, and it will germinate in about 10-15 days.

2. Cutting propagation

This is the main method of honeysuckle propagation. The time for cuttings is usually from spring before new buds sprout to October. Choose healthy branches that are 1-2 years old, cut them into 30 cm lengths, retain 3 nodes and 2-4 leaves, cut the lower end at an angle, and immediately plant them after treating them with rooting hormone. When direct cuttings are used, dig holes at a certain spacing between plants and rows, apply base fertilizer, insert cuttings and compact the soil to keep it moist. When raising seedlings by cuttings, make holes on the seedbed at a certain row spacing, insert the cuttings and water them. During the cutting period, shade is required to avoid direct sunlight.

3. Division propagation

In late autumn or early spring, dig out the old plants and their sprouting seedlings, and divide them into several small plants for planting. This method has a high survival rate, but it does not bloom in the same year and the reproduction speed is slow.

4. Layering propagation

During the dormant period of honeysuckle or before germination in early spring, select 3-4 year old healthy plants as mother plants. Bend the annual branches and bury them in the soil, make cuts in the part where they are buried, cover them with fine soil and secure them. In the spring of the second year, the rooted layered seedlings are cut off from the mother plant and planted separately.

5. Planting method

Site selection and land preparation: Honeysuckle is not very demanding on the soil, but in order to achieve high yield and high quality, deep, fertile, well-drained sandy loam should be selected. Deeply plow the land, apply sufficient base fertilizer, level and harrow the soil, and then make high beds or ridges for planting.

Planting: Plant honeysuckle in early spring or in autumn and winter when it is dormant. Dig holes according to a certain spacing between rows and plants, apply base fertilizer, plant honeysuckle, fill in the soil, compact it, and water it to allow it to take root.

6. Management of Honeysuckle

Watering and moisturizing: Pay attention to watering when the honeysuckle sprouts in spring. During the growing period, water only when it is dry.

Intertillage and weeding: Intertillage and weeding should be carried out 3-4 times a year, combined with soil cultivation.

Top dressing: Apply more organic fertilizer in the early stage of planting, and apply human feces and urine in the later stage according to the growth conditions.

Pruning and pruning: Pruning and supporting branches are important measures for high yields. When pruning, cut off dense and old branches to promote ventilation and light transmission. The branches of honeysuckle are long, so a trellis is needed to guide the branches. Prune and cultivate it into a shrub to promote the growth of new branches and the formation of more flower buds.

Irrigation and drainage: Pay attention to irrigation during the flowering period to avoid flower falling and rotting.

7. Pest and disease control

Root rot: The focus of prevention and control is to use ferrous sulfate solution or medicated soil when treating the soil. If diseased plants are found, dig them out and disinfect them immediately.

Sooty mold: It is prone to occur in hot and dry seasons. It can be controlled by spraying thiophanate-methyl or carbendazim.

Aphids: Spray with dimethoate emulsion 2-3 times in a row.

8. Harvesting and processing

Generally, the flower buds are harvested when they turn from green to white in late May or early June, and harvesting after flowering should be avoided. Spread the flower buds thinly to dry, avoid turning them frequently, and dry them in time.

The above is an introduction to the key points of honeysuckle cultivation. Planting honeysuckle is actually not complicated. It is important to master the planting techniques. Don’t follow the trend blindly.